Las Vegas World Market Center Report:
FEIZY RUGS INTRODUCES TWO MAJOR LICENSED LINES AT NEW SHOWROOM

By Lissa Wyman

LAS VEGAS -- Feizy Rugs introduced two major licensed lines at its new Building B showroom at the World Market Center. The hoopla included personal appearances by licensors Tracy Porter and Sandra Lee. 

It turned out both collections were home-runs, according to John Feizy, president of the rug importing company.

On Tuesday, Tracy Porter was on hand to show  three groups of hand knotted rugs retailing in the high-end range of $1,400 to $1,600 for 5 by 8 size.

On Wednesday, Sandra Lee came to show off her new group of hand-tufted rugs, retailing in the $350 to $399 range for 5 by 8.

Former model and lifestyle designer Tracy Porter has been involved in product licensing for well over a decade. Sandra Lee, with her "Semi-Home Made€VbCrLf approach to cooking and decorating on her Food Network show, is a newcomer to the licensing arena. Feizy is her first licensor, and last week Lee also signed with Master Designs for case goods.

Both the Porter and Lee collections,  with their subdued colorations and soft contemporary designs, struck a chord with Feizy customers, according to John Feizy. "People are looking for things that are fresh and different, and at the same time livable and affordable,€VbCrLf he said.

Porter's aesthetic has changed considerably from the days when her designs featured bunnies and flowers. (She worked with Shaw Rugs on a series of decorative accent rugs about ten years ago.)  In her new design incarnation, the  Feizy rugs featured elegantly subdued organic designs in earthy natural colors.

"Times change, people change. I've been anxious to get back into the rug business with new looks,€VbCrLf said Porter, whose other product categories include  dinnerware and lighting.

"My objective with  Feizy is to create designs that people really want to live with. At the same time, we still want to appeal to emotions. We're striving for something that people can get excited about,€VbCrLf she added.

Sandra Lee  specializes in "aspirational products€VbCrLf for consumers with taste but not necessarily deep pockets. The rugs featured stylized renderings of chandeliers, damask fabrics and a lacey white tendril and blossom pattern outlined against  subtle background tones.  "I'm really proud of these pieces. Not only do people respond to the designs, but because  they are so aggressively priced,€VbCrLf said Lee. "At these prices, anyone can afford one of these rugs.€VbCrLf

For both Porter and Lee, the creative relationship with licensors is of paramount importance.

"I worked very closely with Feizy's Steve Sorrow, director of product development. We were always on the same wave length through the entire process,€VbCrLf said Porter.

Lee said that she has a specific style guide for product design, but for the most part she stays out of the way during the technical process of product development. "I'm not a micro-manager. This has been truly a co-operative venture from the very beginning,€VbCrLf she said.

 
Tracy Porter with Feizy's  Steve Sorrow, left,  vice president of product development, and president John Feizy.

 
Sandra Lee and Ray Hashemi, Feizy vice president of sales for division 2, with traffic-stopping Chandelier design.

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